Industry News

​The European Union is intensifying its regulatory efforts against major U.S. tech companies under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), with Alphabet’s Google and Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) potentially facing significant fines. This follows recent penalties totaling €700 million ($797 million) imposed on Apple and Meta for anti-competitive practices. ​AP News+8Reuters+8Cryptopolitan+8

Despite criticisms from U.S. President Donald Trump, who views these regulations as de facto tariffs on American companies, EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera has emphasized the EU’s commitment to enforcing its laws and values without yielding to external pressures. The DMA aims to reduce the dominance of tech giants and enhance competition by facilitating user mobility between platforms. ​Medial+2Reuters+2AP News+2

While recent fines are relatively modest compared to past penalties, EU regulators are focusing more on ensuring compliance than imposing heavy sanctions. Observers note that political factors could influence future enforcement. A potential landmark move involves forcing Google to divest parts of its adtech business due to concerns over its monopolistic control—a decision supported by a recent U.S. court ruling. ​Financial Times+3Reuters+3Medial+3

Meanwhile, an investigation into X under the Digital Services Act is ongoing, with a decision expected soon. EU officials stress that effective regulatory change should prioritize market competition and behavioral adjustments over punitive fines. ​Reuters

The U.S. tech industry has labeled these penalties and accompanying operational requirements as “tariffs,” aiming to draw former President Donald Trump’s attention amid his ongoing trade agenda. Meta’s global affairs officer criticized the EU measures as economically damaging and detrimental to service quality, claiming they amount to economic extortion. Tech lobbyists argue these actions represent a new escalation in transatlantic trade tensions. ​Medial+2Politico+2Reuters+2

A Nobel Prize-winning MIT economics professor has advocated for Europe to follow the U.S. lead in taking strong antitrust actions against Google. The article argues that decades of regulatory failure have allowed tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple to monopolize markets and gain immense power, undermining innovation, competition, and democratic institutions. The professor calls on the EU to build upon its Digital Markets and Digital Services Acts and take bold steps beyond fines—including potentially breaking up monopolies—to restore competitive balance. ​Financial Times

The Digital Markets Act, implemented in 2022, aims to curb the dominance of major tech companies, including Google, by designating them as “gatekeepers” and enforcing rules to foster competition and give users more options. These regulations facilitate interoperability between platforms, prevent default application bundling, and restrict data usage for personalized advertising without clear consent. Non-compliance could result in hefty fines or even a mandatory company breakup. ​AP News

In summary, the EU’s steadfast approach to regulating Big Tech under the DMA reflects its commitment to fostering a competitive digital market, despite potential geopolitical tensions and industry pushback.​Medial+1Reut

Source: ET Telecom

Côte d’Ivoire has broken into the top three African countries with the most advanced fiber optic infrastructure, according to the 2024 Fiber Development Index published by the World Broadband Association (WBBA) and UK-based research firm Omdia.

The country now ranks third in Africa, just behind Mauritius and South Africa. It is a major leap forward from its eighth-place spot in 2023, when it was still behind Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, and Uganda. Globally, Côte d’Ivoire climbed to 73rd place out of 93 countries analyzed.

The index looks at several key indicators, including fiber-to-home and fiber-to-business penetration, fiber connectivity to mobile cell sites, median download speed, and average network latency. Based on this, Côte d’Ivoire now ranks ahead of several larger economies like Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, and Ghana.

This progress supports the country’s goal of becoming a digital hub in West Africa. Backed by major public and private investments, Côte d’Ivoire has been expanding its national fiber optic network as part of a long-term plan led by the National Agency for Universal Telecommunications Service (ANSUT). So far, 5,207 kilometers of fiber have been laid under the government-led National Broadband Network (RNHD) project, which aims to reach nearly 7,000 kilometers.

Telecom giants Orange, MTN, and Moov have also played a major role. Thanks to policies encouraging private investment, they had collectively deployed more than 24,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable by 2023.

The government sees fixed broadband as a key driver of economic and social development. That is why it is pushing to complete the RNHD project, first launched in 2012 but delayed for several years due to funding issues at ANSUT between 2018 and 2022.

For 2025, ANSUT has announced what it calls an “ambitious activation strategy” for the RNHD. The plan starts with a 1,500-kilometer pilot phase linking major cities including Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Daloa, Bouaké, and Korhogo. This first stage is set to be completed in just six months, with full activation expected by September 2025.

Once active, the network will significantly boost internet access across the country and improve interconnectivity between public infrastructure. The goal is to ensure equal access to fast, reliable internet for all Ivorians.

Source: Ecofin Agency

MTN Ghana, the telecommunications giant, has reinforced its commitment to the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as it announces a transformative agenda dedicated to digitally transforming businesses across the country over one year.

The initiative is aimed at empowering and celebrating the sector’s contributions to the economy and will feature several activities – including a special offer for women in business, capability training for both formal and informal SMEs, a youth entrepreneurship webinar, the SMEGA (SME Grow Africa) Awards and market activations.

Chief Executive Business Officer Angela Mensah-Poku made this announcement at the 2025 SME Accelerate launch on the Accra Metropolitan Assembly forecourt under the theme ‘Business done smarter, faster and better’.

She elaborated that after several engagements with businesses in the sector, they indicated that their work is not a “hit and run” business but an everyday activity, necessitating the need for MTN to extend its support for the sector from one month to a year.

“SMEs are not a hit and run or just a one-day activity. It is every single day, which is why we have committed a full year of activities, programmes, propositions and partnerships to celebrate the work of our SMEs”, she announced.

According to Head-SME Sales, Mohammed Abubakari-Sidick, focus on improving the sector’s digital front is based on research conducted last year which showed a digitalisation gap among SMEs.

“In recent times, we have realised that most of SMEs are lagging behind in terms of digital transformation and we identified these gaps based on research we conducted last year,” he explained.

Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Officer-MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, noted that in recognising the sector’s role in the economy they are unveilling the initiative as a “go-to brand for entrepreneurs in today’s digital economy”.

Highlighting their contributions to improving the SME landscape, he indicated that in the last five years MTN has invested more than US$1billion in the sector.

Mr. Blewett added that through the SMEGA Awards 2025, they will monitor SMEs’ performance and reward outstanding businesses that strive for excellence with a promotional package.

“We remain committed to rendering digital solutions and investing over US$200million in our infrastructure” he said, underscoring their resilience and efforts in seeing Ghanaian SMEs thrive and positioning them on the global market.

In her keynote address, Chief Executive Officer-Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) Margaret Ansei described the initiative as a strategic intervention that aligns with the agency’s vision.

She underscored the launch’s theme as critical in recent times – adding that “the future belongs to those who can boldly embrace change, leverage technology and drive smart solutions to scale their businesses”.

Turning her attention to the government’s 24-hour economy agenda, Ms. Ansei indicated that the initiative launched aligns with the country’s national policy.

As part of initiatives under the 2025 SME Accelerate is an introduction of a special bundle for women, ‘Adwumapa’, focused on empowering women-led SMEs and other solutions such as SME plus and yellow biz.

The ‘Adwumapa’ solution includes affordable voice data and SMS, insurance cover, visibility opportunities, MTN Business discounts and the GROW HER initiative.

Mr. Abubakari-Sidick added that their team is positioned across other cities including Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale to offer all SMEs the numerous solutions and opportunities this initiative promises to deliver.

Source: Deborah Asantewaah SARFO ( bftonline.com)